The present invention relates generally to devices for the purposes of education and demonstration and, more particularly, to such devices having apertured elements on elongate means.
It is a time-honored practice to use small groups of objects as visual aids to teach children basic mathematic skills like: counting, addition and subtraction. Numerous teaching aids have been developed that build upon this concept by retaining a group of objects together in a manner that prevents their loss over time. Typically, these teaching aids have one or more rods with a plurality of beads slidably positioned thereon. Adjacent the rods is often positioned a sequence of numbers that facilitates the counting of the beads and the working out of various mathematics problems proposed by a teacher.
Enlightened teachers have found that their pupils learn mathematics skills in highly individualized ways. Some prefer to count objects arranged in a horizontal row, as would be found in a typical counting aid, from right to left while others prefer to count from left to right. Neither counting method has a particular advantage over the other. Nonetheless, an ingrained, counting preference can make the use of a typical counting aid a difficult task for some children. Thus, the structural characteristics of some counting aids can actually slow the learning of mathematics.
In light of the problems associated with the known aids for teaching counting and other mathematics skills, it is a principal object of the invention to provide an educational tool that permits a student to solve basic mathematics problems in a personalized manner by permitting him to count from either left-to-right in a xe2x80x9cnormalxe2x80x9d approach or from right-to-left in a xe2x80x9creversexe2x80x9d approach. Provided that the tool is properly used, either approach to counting will provide the same, correct answer to a given mathematics problem in a short period of time.
It is another object of the invention to provide an educational tool of the type described that is self-contained and requires neither additional equipment nor prolonged training to operate effectively.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in an educational tool for the purposes described which is uncomplicated in construction, inexpensive to manufacture, and dependable in use.
Briefly, the educational tool in accordance with this invention achieves the intended objects by featuring a frame supporting a pair of parallel rods. A number of beads are slidably positioned on one of the rods. A reckoning slide is slidably and rotatably positioned on the other of the rods for counting the beads. The reckoning slide has front and rear sides with ruled markings spaced from one another at a distance equivalent to that of the width of the beads. The front side has printed indicia between the ruled markings in the form of a first whole number sequence increasing from left-to-right. The rear side has printed indicia between said ruled markings in the form of a second whole number sequence increasing from right-to-left. By rotating the slide so that either its front of rear side faces a user, adjacent beads may be counted with reference to the indicia from left-to-right or right-to-left.
The educational tool also features a number of cards that are secured to the frame adjacent the rods. The cards bear printed indicia in the form of mathematics problems that can be solved with reference to the beads and the reckoning slide. Thus, the educational tool can provide a user with many opportunities to enhance mathematics skills.